Never Be Rescued By Vampires
by VampLoverNight92
Summary: Clair knows a few vampires. That's not the problem. She has gotten into way too much trouble, and had to resort to using vampires to rescue her. When a vampire saves your life, you owe them yours.
1. Chapter 1

"Kage-san?" Clair asked distantly, looking out past the cliff she sat perilously on the edge of, "What would I have done? Without you, I mean." She looked back down at her own hands and glanced back at him. When said nothing and just shrugged his shoulders without enthusiasm.

"Cai-chan.I can't see the shore anymore. We should leave before the lifeguards notice you on the edge of that cliff." he whispered, softly. He turned and started to walk off, but after a few short steps looked behind him. On the cliff, Clair sat, crying into her hands as she looked at the moon. He transpired next to her in almost a second, and looked awkwardly at her face. With his face displaying a portrait of confusion, he asked, "Daijobu?" She wiped her face with the back of her hand, and smiled slightly, as she climbed off the cliff, ignoring the hand he offered for balance. He said nothing, but zipped his black jacket up higher against the cold and followed Clair into the surrounding darkness….

Clair sat in a lavish chair surrounded by a pile of books and a floor lamp in an ornately decorated large library. She sighed and set down the book she had flipped closed. The library was elegant with smooth dark brown shelving and old fashioned lamps jutting out of the walls and the ends of aisle. The library was the shape of a gigantic rectangle. Occupying most of the available space in to room was the aisles of book shelves lined with volumes of epics and stories. In the western part of the library was a loft, closer to the high ceiling than the floor of bookshelves and raised so on a wooden platform almost ten feet higher. The loft contained the lavish chair upon which sat Clair, the black iron floor lamp standing by the mountain of books cascading toward Clair's feet.

She grabbed another book out of the pile and skimmed the content page before throwing it in frustration. The book flew only feet away, where within seconds, a figure appeared. He held the book in his hand and set it gently on the ground beside him. Clair had taken up another volume and was reading with some difficulty. The figure sped behind her shoulder in a matter of moments, before Clair could notice. She looked only when the figure said, "What's the matter, Clair-chan? Having trouble reading Japanese?"

She whipped around to see the figure. He looked very young, exhibiting the age and appearance of an older teenager. He had dark, ruffled hair, slightly curled at the end, and the coldest ice blue eyes. He was obviously of Asian descent noting from the eye shape, but blue was an uncommon eye color in the Japanese population. He had a youthful, reckless, and dangerous aura about him. Unpredictable, mostly. She glanced at him, and shoved the book at his stomach. He grabbed the book before it collided with the emptiness in his abdomen. He traced the long line of characters with the tips of his fingers and said them clearly and matter-of-factly. When he finished, he flashed an irresistible grin.

"Understand it?" he questioned, as he flipped the book closed and stared at the title, "Why are you reading on vampires?"

"Yes, I understood you. Why wouldn't I have the choice to pursue my **_own_** personal book indulgences?"

"Why bother with books? There's a great amount of experiences out there that can more………exhilarating. Books are unconventional nowadays. If you read about something, its not the same as trying it out for yourself." He urged, sitting on the arm of the chair. Clair gazed at him, not fully listening to the argument, but concentrating more on his face and physique. He was undeniably…obnoxiously attractive. His pale skin, dark hair, and voice matched almost too perfectly. He looked appraisingly at Clair, as though he knew she was distracted by him, and that made Clair obtain a blush and look elsewhere.

Prompted by that discomfort, she asked,

"Would you rather test my vampire killing methods on you?" The bitterness and lack of humor or even sarcasm startled him for a moment, but he regained his charming composure.

With one chilling hand, he held her chin up. He leaned in almost touching her neck with his open fanged mouth, and whispered, "No, I would rather try my vampire methods on you." His breath on her throat made her wince, and immediately cried

"Not until after my expectancy is decided upon tonight. Wait, then you may. Tempting as it might be, I would rather be killed should you oblige."

With a moment's hesitation, he suddenly flung back. With an annoyed and angered look, he abided.

Clair eyed him cautiously out of the corner of her eye. **_Sure, she was safe now, she thought, but what about later? Could I really choose death over eternal life? Especially an eternal life with someone like him…?_** She pondered it, but the she decided whichever comes true, that she wouldn't be condemned to an eternity of this house. Clair could see him, sulking angrily on the ledge of the loft, waiting for her to change her mind. **_I'm not changing my mind. If I let him, I will not only be killed by his hands. But if I had somehow miraculously managed to survive being nearly drained, I'd be killed by the others. They'd be furious that not only did the sulking vampire not abide by the rules, but also a mortal human. They couldn't do much worse to the sulker in the corner. He was already condemned into vampirism and he is more or less immortal. They'd probably rough him up a little, but they wouldn't have as much control over him. Plus, he has already gone a whole week of nights without feeding, no wonder he's peeved._** She stood up, remaining motionless until he glanced at her. She sighed, and plopped down beside him. He maintained his stare at the distance of the library, taking in the islands of books. His stare hardened as Clair sat down. She studied his face, and thought today might be her last living day. She switched her visual focus to her hands in her lap, tightly holding a thick book, and started to whisper afraid that she would start crying if she didn't speak now.

"You know, today could well be my last day. Please, don't be angry with me. I don't want to intentionally be—" she stated, and started to choke on the words--**_like you_**. Tears threatened to overwhelm her eyes, and made her vision blur. Her lips trembled, but she refused to show her sorrow. He cast in his gaze to look at her. He felt, for a fleeting moment, a tinge of guilty and sincerity for her situation. When he had allowed a human, under some persuasion, to live in his manor for a week, he hadn't counted on knowing her. He thought it was just an indifferent meal, though he was warned what not to do in that week. One rule was no feeding. He'd survive like he always did. But she, he thought, wouldn't last as long. He only looked at what she had become in only a week's worth of time.

"I don't want to intentionally be….a vampire. I won't have a second chance to set things right." She whispered, as she tremored between sobs she fought to control. All he could do was watch helplessly, and that was all he was allowed to do.

"You could reconsider…spend your **_new_** life here..with me.." he suggested quietly, still seething was anger and hurt. She shook her head, and thanked him anyway.

"You have all my gratitude. The others would've made me isolated alone, until it was time. Because you let them keep me here, I'm not lonely."

"I find my tolerance of them shrinking little by little. In earlier times, we coexisted in a community to find shelter for persecutors and hunters. Now, all I find of them is the more and more restrictions of my lifestyle."

"You live too recklessly already."

"Not as free as Id like. Their rules and obligations annoy me to no end."

"I owe them my life, Nobanara-san. How can I justify my hatred for them? It's only fair—a life for a life."

"Don't call me that, Clair-chan. Saying Nobanara-san makes me nervous" He turned away, his face obscured from her view. Back-and-forth, back-and-forth, she rocked on her heels, and closed her eyes.

"Sakeisho-kun?"

He shifted in mere acknowledgement. He looked poutedly over at her, while she asked:

"Is Kage-san coming tonight? With them?"

His face resolved in mild disgust, and stated, "Probably. Nande?"

"I want to see him once more…" she wished. He said nothing, and she appreciated the silence that had ensued the room. She tilted her head toward the sky, stopping her tears, and he leaned over and touched her throat.

"Please stop." she whined. He ignored her request, and leaned over opening his mouth. She felt only his breath on her neck, and her own heart pounding, threatening to break out of her body. She glanced at him out of the side of her eyes, unable to focus because of the tears that reunited in her eyes. Then, she could feel his lips, and occasionally his fangs brushing her skin as he gently kissed her throat. It was more than she could bear, and she pleaded for him to stop, but he displayed no sign of halting. She pulled free, as she held him out at her arms length. He didn't shove or pull away even though he had ample the strength to. He sat there, letting her hold him away from her, recovering from terror. Her breathing was off beat and loud. However, her heart slammed even louder. She swore he could hear it.

"Settle down. Your heart beat is driving me crazy." He advised, as if cued by her thought on the topic. With that, he stared directly at her. She suddenly felt uncontrollably uncomfortable with the way he stared at her neck. She covered her neck, thankful for his self-control. Thankful it hadn't got too far. He didn't see at all at the jeopardy he put her in. His lust for blood hindered his abilities she noticed. Not only was he threatening her, but his movements weren't as swift and untraceable as before, though now they were still well out of her range. He sat there, indifferent and expressionless. She, no matter how hard she tried, couldn't read his motives. Uncertainty flooded her insides when she was in his presence. He smiled slightly, startled by her shock. She was relieved when he stopped, and managed to rid the tears cascading from her eyes. The relief was short-lived…

Just then, she noticed a tall, lean muscled figure lounging on the end of a bookcase in her direction. She squinted, thinking her eyes had gone. But no, the shadow remained. It stirred, and called:

"That was disgusting, Nobanara-san." The shadow strolled more into the dimly lit votives surrounding the book aisles. In the flooding warmth was Kage-san, dressed casually in black jeans, black and red cut shirt, and a loose black jacket. Clair smiled at him, and waved him up. His movements, unlike Sakeisho, were gracefully fluid. He smiled down at Clair on the ground, and assisted her up. She hugged him, and he put an arm loosely around her,comforting her. Kage-san focused his attention on Sakeisho.

"Idiot..." he reprimanded Sakeisho, "Has a week of no blood weakened your brain?"

"Shut up. Why are you here so early? Sunset was just five minutes ago."

"I came to see Cai-chan before…" he argued, before trailing off.

"Are you sure it wasn't to drink her blood afterwards?" enticed Sakeisho. Kage-san turned pink on his face, making his pale skin color.

"You're the one terrorizing her!" countered Kage-san.

Clair halted the conversation, raising her hand to stop their argument.

"Dozo. Stop. No fighting. Blood makes me sick." She stuttered.

She left the two to go get changed, and prepare for the vampires meeting. **_I hope they don't rip each other apart, she thought. They hate each other….I wonder why. Surely it was before I came here. Kage-san was on edge, though his physical composure showed no sign. And Sakeisho….I nearly had a heart attack. I thought I was going to be..Nevermind._** She determinedly put the thought out of her head. **_The decision is still hanging in the air…_**

Meanwhile, the two in the library didn't bother to restrain their argument until many more vampires piled in. Soon, a group of vampires filled the loft. They dropped the topic, and they all waited for Clair. She walked hesitantly at first, concentrating on keeping her composure. They sat around a lit fireplace blazing in the corner, and waited for her to sit. She sat, shifting her gaze between all of them.

"I think she should remain with the living." Prompted Kage-san, starting the meeting. He didn't look at any of the others, nor did he sit down, he leaned against a wall with his back to them, only turning his head to the side. After he started, the vampires suggested their own ideas.

Clair appreciated some of the gentler comments and opinions, but some others suggested horrific things. **_How long is this going to take?Geeez, there's a lot of vampires hear. I wonder if they can hear my heart beat like Sakeisho? The coven Kage-san and Sakeisho belong to seem…unpleasant. I wonder how many other covens of vampires there are..? I guess this keeps them all in line…if one vampire exposes them, hysteria breaks out. If they are threatened by others to keep the secret, they'd be less likely to expose their condition and endanger others both humans and vampires._**

"Clair!" called Sakeisho noticing her expression was a little faint, "leave and let us decide!" She looked at the crowd, wondering how she would even have the nerve to leave just after entering. She left, quietly shutting the door behind her, and stood in the hall. She straightened her kimono even though she was American; she enjoyed dressing in traditional Japanese costume. For the occasion, she had dressed in a red silk kimono, layering a black spider web-like mesh one over it. Her obi was orange with designs of suns, and thin cord, keeping it in place that was blue with moons decorated on it. She waited impatiently, even though she didn't dare go demand their decision. If she listened closely, she could hear some yelling, shouting, chairs scuffing the floor, but not as loud as to alarm. She slid down the wall with her back as she saw another vampire walk down the hall. He jerked a cigarette out of the package and tossed the case over his right shoulder. He lit it, and continued in her direction. When he reached the door, he opened it slightly and then closed it. He sighed and took off his dark sun glasses. He sat on the ground on the other side of the double doors she had exited. She was staring blankly at the floor, her hands clenched. He pulled the cigarette out of his mouth.

"You're why we're all here? You're Clair?" he guessed.

"Yes." She said quietly. He sat in silence, and took a puff on his cigarette.

"What did you do?" he questioned, still smoking. He pulled another case out and offered her one, but she declined.

"I owe them my life. A few of them saved me. Its a long story…" she reminded herself.

His eyebrows rose and he looked at her startled. The expression scared Clair, as she had never seen someone so genuinely surprised and confused.

"They saved you from death?" he demanded. She looked briefly his way, tiredly, and nodded as she pulled her knees close.

He looked wide-eyed and taken aback despite his dangerous and rough appearance.

"They won't kill you." He assured her, firmly in an I-cant-believe-you-are-that-stupid tone of voice.

"Why?" she asked, curious. He shifted, putting his knees in front of him, stretched and answered:

"Why would they save you from death if they were just going to kill you anyway? Why have the blame on us and risk exposing us vampires?"

She thought he was right, but vampires have their own agendas, own plans. Everything they do is calculated, evaluated, and planned to reduce and count their own risks.

Just then, the door burst open, and most of the vampires piled out, ignoring her, and fled down the hallway. She stood up, and found some of the crowd still in the library. Among them were Kage-san, Sakeisho, and the new teenager she just met in hallway filed in. They whispered, and glared in her direction. Finally, she standing in between them, she asked,

"Well? What now?"

"Clair, please go to your room." Commanded Kage-san. **_That's it! I waited and waited! NO MORE WAITING!_**

Just as she went to complain, Sakeisho grabbed a hold of her wrist and with crushing strength pulled her out of the library and down the hallway, leading her to her room while she protested.

"Nobanara-san! NOBANARA-SAN! Why do—"

He stopped, still holding her wrist, and stared at her.

"I told you not to call me that." He said coldly, resuming the pulling her down the hall past other residents quarters. She struggled and loudly protested against him.

He dragged her harder until she screamed that he was harming her arm. Then, in an ultra speed sweep, picked her up and slung her over his shoulder, carrying her to her room.

When they were in Clair's room, he safely locked her door behind them, which under circumstances alarmed her. He threw her on her four poster queen bed, landing on soft bedding. She massaged her arm where he had hurt it. He sat in a reading chair near her bed, and leaned on the polished antique wooden arm. She sat up, and hoped he would break the silence.

"Well?" she pressed.

"You can live." he whispered, looking away.

"Really? That's all?" she asked incredulously. She was swepted with uncontrollable relief, and she felt lightheaded as a result.

"Did your heart just skip a beat? I couldn't hear it for a second." He laughed, trying to hide his amusement.

"What happened?"

"Kage-san will inform you."

"Why cant—"

"Don't ask. It's not my place. He's in charge of you now. He'll tell you." he snapped.

"How come? Who decided this?"

"Ask him."

"Where will I go?"

Before he could open his mouth, she supplied "I know, Ill ask him." She looked around the room. **_I'll miss this place…and Sakeisho. I'll be sad to leave, but he'll only let me live here if I am a vampire. He told me so before. So, I live….for now. What next?_**

She thought about how she had escaped with her life now, and relief flooded her eyes with tears. Sakeisho held his head in his hands and looked up at her.

"What's the matter?"

"Nothing. I'm glad I'm going to live is all."

"Celebrate after Kage-san talks to you. When you know—" he started, then halted before revealing too much.

Suddenly, the door slid open, and one of the butlers summoned them both. Leading them to library, Clair wondered what could be on Sakeisho's mind. They walked wordlessly; she knew he wouldn't answer anyways.

In the loft, she could hear a chime ringing eleven somewhere in the manor. Kage-san, the guy smoking from earlier, and few others remained, less than last time. Kage-san watched her, and said, "Clair, the leader of the coven has decided. He allows you to choose your own options. The options, however, are going to be hard on all of us, you realize." Then he stopped, and sighed.

"You can," he continued, "stay human or become a vampire. You are restricted to living in this manor for the next five weeks or more." He stopped again, making her slightly nervous, and eyed the others in the room.

"We," he added, gesturing to the remaining people, "were given instructions to do as we please, but remain here for the period you do. No limits or rules to protect your blood. According to what he said, you are fair game. You are warned. Come with me." He said as some vampires rose shadily from their seats, eyeing Clair.

Kage-san grabbed her hand and pulled her along at a brisk pace. She labored to keep up, going even faster than the pace Sakeisho had pulled her. He didn't stop until they were outside in the giant garden in the middle, by a concrete table. He stopped and bent over, catching his breath while Clair fell to the ground. He watched as he huffed, looking concerned. Standing, she stared back.

"Cai-chan. Long time no see." He greeted and smiled. As he smiled freely, he revealed his white gleaming frontal fangs. **_Wow, she thought, my memory didn't do him justice. Even if I remembered him as gorgeous. _**He was just as glamorous and attractive as Sakeisho if not just a little bit more.

She smiled warmly, and hugged him tightly. He hugged her back, and then suddenly froze and let go. She pulled back, and looked at him.

"Are you ok?"

"Yes, it's just—"

"Yes?"

"I can hear you're heart beat and blood rushing." He whispered embarrassed.

She felt self conciseness of being human suddenly. She could feel his gaze, now and then, glancing at her throat though she was far from being afraid of him. Kage-san and Clair had known each other a long time, since she was a child, perhaps before. Sakeisho scared her more because he was unfamiliar to her, only knowing him for a week.

"This is impossible…He knows it. How can he set us all up like this?"

"Who?"

"The leader of our coven... He's far older than most of us, but his cruelty is reborn with every age I'm sure. He picked this fate for you."

"I don't see—"

"You don't, that's why I'm concerned. If you wanted to stay a human, you have to fend off other vampires. If I assist you, I could be killed. Harming my own people would end in my death! Sakeisho could be killed too if he assisted you which is a plus. You don't want to become a vampire…I know why. And you made it clear with Sakeisho also. As a vampire, you'd be weak and other vampires could still attack you for blood that being you would be one of the youngest of our coven."

"Coven? If I'm bitten, I am in your Coven?" she inquired. He nodded.

"Only if you're bitten by one of us. Someone belonging to another and you'd join them. Willingly or not."

She wondered what would happen to her from now on.

"So I have no option of death? Just human or vampire?"

He nodded, thinking deeply himself.

"What if I get my blood drunk, and then don't drink the blood offered? Or don't drink blood at all?" she asked, wondering.

"Either way. Other vampires would probably be forced under instructions to make you swallow some. Perhaps shove it down your throat."

Some bushes rumbled, and the sound of footsteps disturbed their conversation. At a moments notice, she was grabbed as Kage-san fled to the top of the manor's roof holding her tightly so she wouldn't drop. In the garden, several figures searched for them. Clair pointed to the balcony of her bedroom window, and standing there was Sakeisho signaling them. Kage-san picked her up and fled to her window unseen in the dark evening. At the balcony, Kage-san stepped into her bedroom, dropping her roughly on the bed, and locked the balcony windows. Sakeisho grabbed a piece of paper out of his jacket, and slapped it on the window. The thin, long piece of paper had strange writing scribbled on it in red ink. From the bed, she questioned them about it.

"It works rather like those old legends", Kage-san explained, "The one where a vampire can only enter by being invited in?" Clair nodded, seeing its value on her balcony door while Sakeisho stuck another one to her bedroom door. Those being the only two exits, she felt safer and more secure. Sakeisho and Kage-san sat on opposite sides of the room, thinking hard. Hours poured by in silence while Clair pulled out some books from under her bed and read. Signs of strain danced on their faces when Clair glanced up from her book by a sudden cough. Sakeisho looked the worse. He was paler than usual, and he was sweating slightly. His eyes had closed, and he trembled. Kage-san had some color in his cheeks as if he burned a fever, and also had closed eyes. Clair was struck by fear as she jumped up and felt Kage-sans forehead and recoiled in pain from the heat. She darted to Sakeisho who was unusually cold, startling her. Sakeisho now went through tremors shaking his whole body. She plopped the both of them on her bed, and then rushed to her bathroom to put cold water on washcloths for their foreheads. Kage-san woke up within seconds, warily sitting up, taking in his surroundings. Clair pushed him back down, so he could lie down.

"Cai-chan! The sunrise!" he warned, terror distorting his voice. She glanced at the window, the only one in the room, which was a giant pane one in the balcony door. Kage-san struggled to move, but started to cough blood. She scanned the room looking for something to hang on the empty curtain holder over the door.

"Ah, the sun. Too late." He whispered, and a single tear rolled down his cheek. Clair had started crying too, and then an idea came to her. She shoved both Sakeisho and Kage-san roughly onto the floor, and kicked them under the bed. She yanked off the thick, plush, dark-colored comforter and draped it on the curtain rod, expelling light. Thus, leaving her in almost impenetrable darkness. She made her way to the bed, blindly feeling for objects to mark her way until something grabbed her ankle with unbelievable strength. She was pulled to the ground, and slid under the bed also. She felt someone's hand on her ankle! But no one is here except for Kage and Sakeisho.

"Stop it! Sakeisho! Kage-san!"

She could remember Kage-san being underneath the opposite side of the bed, so this had to be Sakeisho.

The hand had her jaw, and was being slid closer to the center underneath the bed. Within seconds, she could feel breath on her face. She couldn't see a thing, but she could feel it.

"Please, Sakeisho! Let go!" she pleaded, struggling uselessly.

The hand now had her, grasping her neck, and she tried to pull the hand off. She felt the figure next to her shift closer, and then lips on her throat. It was as before when Sakeisho was only playing with her, he didn't bite yet. Then, his teeth nibbled her skin, eventually drawing some blood. His body stiffened at blood, and she clasped her hands around her throat. While he froze, she scooted over, so that way when he leaned into draw blood, he bit her arm instead. The bite wound stung her arm making her instantly whimper loudly. Hearing her, the figure she had her back facing stirred as Clair concentrated on ignoring the pain slowly making her arm numb. Two cold arms wrapped around her from behind, pulling her over to the opposite side of the crevice under the bed. The wood floor under slid under her fast like she was being pulled by a speeding car until suddenly she was pushed upright and pulled safely in two arms and a cold chest on her back. Blood dripped soundlessly onto the floor and that made her rescuer flinch slightly as he fought for his own self control. Clair was starting to the cons of being human. If she was a vampire, then this wouldn't be a large problem. Shaking her from her contemplation, she heard a noise. Something scratching on her bedroom door and she let out a blood curtailing scream. No vampire could be on her balcony because it was now past sunrise, so they had to be in the hallway.

"Cai-chan, it's okay. I'm here. I'll protect you, please be very quiet. I need to listen for Sakeisho." he said gently in Clair's ear and pulled her closer in his arms. Clair could hear his slight breathing and feel the temperature of his skin, but no heart beat. She froze. Sakeisho was stalking around somewhere in the bedroom which was the size equivalent of a honeymoon suite in a high scale hotel. So, he could be anywhere in the huge room, but he was bound to smell the spilled blood.

"Nobanara-san! Don't move." Hissed Kage-san authoritively, challenging Sakeisho to move though Clair didn't hear the sound of his footsteps any longer. Clair tried to peer back at Kage wanting to know where Sakeisho was, but through the darkness. It was impossible to discern even her own fingers--which were sticky with blood. She held her breath in unintentionally, and heard footsteps loud against the delicate grains of the floor boards. One step….two steps closer…

Clair shut her eyes tight, terrified of Sakeisho.

"Sakeisho! Don't come any closer! Clair is my property, and you've known that since she arrived! Any offense against her is an offense against me. Her blood belongs to me. It's been that way since she was fifteen!" he threatened. Clair tensed after he finished talking. Her blood belong to him? Who said? Well, this was the second time he had rescued her…


	2. Chapter 2

Ch. Two

VampireLoverNight92

"What happened to you both? One minute you were fine, and the next both of you looked ill." She asked worriedly, fumbling towards Kage's voice as he responded.

"Well, he was experiencing hunger pangs. When you don't drink after a certain period of time, they become worse and visit more frequently."

"So," Clair asked, sympathy dripping from her voice, "he's had these pains every night?"

Kage-san nodded solemnly, and Clair wrung her hands nervously. "What about you, Kage-san?"

"Oh," he replied pitifully, "I'm sorry about that. The sun was starting to bother me while I was temporarily resting. I didn't notice the open window until—" He paused. "Will you please put that knife away? The holy water on it is making me itch." He sounded in pain and his voice was strained.

"Kage-san," Clair asked gently, reaching out to gently touch his arm, "what did you say about my life being your property?" Clair felt the stifling tension emanating from his body, and he was devoid of all movement making the question feel like it had echoed for a long time.

He turned slowly to face Clair, and shrugged off her hand.

"Cai-chan, you have been marked as my own since I first kissed you." he stated levelly, almost expressionless. She peered at him through narrowed eyes in the darkness.

"Alright," she said slowly, "if I'm…your property. Then why is it allowed for others to take my blood?" Right on cue, the scratching at the door interrupted, and gave Kage-san time to assemble a logical answer.

"Whatever the leader says, goes. He intends to test me, I assume." He caught Clair's perplexed glare through the thick blackness, and elaborated. "Cai-chan, I will inherit my sire's position as coven leader soon, for he plans to relocate to an island rear Italy, his home. I presume that this punishment is not only aimed at you, but me as well. He created me unintentionally, and he was careless in his early years which lead to my rebirth. After every two thousand years or so, the leader takes a required vacation to give others a turn at leadership. Normally, coven leaders yearn for their vacations away from the multitude of vampires, and relax in the luxury of human presence. However, my master sees it differently. He deduces that I plan to conspire against him, and take control or other nonsense. He sees it as I'm stealing his power." Clair was wideeyed in the darkness, and rubbed her sticky hands on her sash to rid herself of the nasty feeling of dried blood.

"Here," Kage-san said as he pulled her hands towards him, "I'll take care of that." With that, he pulled her soiled hands to his mouth and licked off the dried blood while making Clair squirm in his grasp. She tingled at the sensation, but it didn't last long and she withdrew as he dropped her hands. "Your blood is…" he commented sanely, signaling he was not overcome with ravenous bloodlust, and at a loss of adjectives. He sighed instead, and the air shifted as he sat on the floor, leaning against the side of the bed. Clair fumbled around before she lowered herself to the floor next to him, and silently nudged her head onto his shoulder, and Kage-san shuddered momentarily before composing his demeanor. Clair stilled while she waited for him to withdraw as was his nature. He didn't like to be touched, kissed occasionally, but not cuddled or comforted. When Kage didn't pull away from her, but just sighed and put a hand on her shoulder, she felt surprised and drowsy simultaneously. Kage whispered in her ear, urging her to sleep, and she identified the source of her drowsy spell.

"Stop it," she reprimanded, "I don't want to sleep." She lazyily opened and closed her eyes as she fought off his powers. "Kage-san, I want to stay awake with you."she pleaded.

"Cai-chan?"

She nodded slowly for she was almost sleeping now.

"Call me Hiro." His real name, Clair exclaimed, before slipping into dreams. She dreamed of the first time she had met Kage-san…

_In the misty light waving off a waning streetlight, she sighed and continued walking down the filthy sidewalk watching the glowing stars in the night sky blankly, distracted. She shoved her hands into her jacket pockets, and shivered for it was cold. She spotted the man she was following a few feet up ahead and lounging against the alley brick exterior of a nightclub, and she could feel the low throb of the music where she stood. She had halted, noticing his eyes on her, and held her breath unintentionally. He was gorgeous, but that wasn't the point…_

_"Why are you stalking me?" he inquired tonelessly. She made a point to look innocently confused, and smirked when he wouldn't buy it. "What do you want?" he demanded more sternly, becoming annoyed. She strided into the darkness of the alley as some people exited the club and were staring interestedly at her seemingly one sided conversation because the man was concealed by the alley. Observing him in the darkness of the unlit alley was foolish, he was a vampire, she knew. His eyes glowed peculiarly, flashing a crimson color. He seemed dangerously edgy in her presence, but she couldn't imagine why._

_"What do you want?" he repeated calmly impatient. She stepped forward and pulled on his lip unexpectedly making him start in surprise. She had revealed his large incisors carelessly, and immeadately withdrew as she had confirmed her suspicions. He watched her through narrowed eyes, but she smirked instead of fleeing._

_"They're beautiful." she remarked softly, her eyes displaying longing, trying to cover the tension. His expression went from suspicious to expressionless._

_"Is that why you're here?" he inquired, coldly, "to expose my kind?" She stifled a giggle, and shook her head seriously. The exposing part seemed fun, in a different sense than his context, she thought as her eyes drifted from his face. He tensed, adverted his eyes, and whispered, "You have a sick mind, little girl." She went wide eyed, but hindered her surprise and added a mental note to guard her thoughts wisely. She felt a heaviness cloud her mind, and closed her eyes to concentrate her thoughts on unimportant things. Apparently, it didn't work, and when she opened her eyes, he was only a foot away. She stepped back in surprise and he advanced matching her steps as she withdrew only to collide hard with an alley wall._

_"Is that really what you want?" he asked. "To become a monster like me?" She reached out a hand to touch his face with a pained expression, but he slapped it away. "You want to know what its like?" She stood there, clutching her hand, nodding after saying, "How can I insure you won't just suck me dry?" His face went dark, and he responded, "You can't." He bent over her exposed neck, and she breathed in sharply. He looked at her questioningly, and she cut that short by pulling on the back of his neck with a hand. Closing her eyes serenely, she waited, but the cutting pain never occurred. Instead, she found herself in a large room lit by votives. He stood close by with his arms outstretched gesturing to the house, and added maliciously, "You want to know what it's like…then I'll show you!" With that, he left, stomping out of the room and slamming the door behind him. She rushed to the door clutching the handle, but it was locked securely. She could hear him on the other side of the door, his soft almost inaudible steps._

_"You want to know what it's like, Clair, then I will show you…the unbearable loneliness." he called softly, his voice heart breaking. Clair leaned against the door and slid down it with her back, whispering just as softly, "I can be with you… no one has to be lonely…not me or you." He halted in the hallway, not hearing her words audibly, but they were portrayed in her mind. He smiled weakly, but kept on walking down the hallway…_

As Clair woke up, Kage could hear her mumbling, but only caught one phrase coherently.

"I can be with you…no one has to be lonely…not me or you." She whispered in her sleep, and Kage-san smiled with protruding incisors knowing what memories haunted her, but she continued to dream of that moment. Her head slipped off her shoulder, and he caught her limp slumbering form before she hit the floor. Her eyes fluttered open temporarily, and she felt his hands bracing her shoulders, so she lightly pushed them off and crawled into his lap, laying her head on her chest.

"Cai-chan?" he asked uncertainly, surprised. Just before she fell asleep again, she whispered.

"Hiro, are you lonely?" He was stunned by the question, but leaning his head over to her neck and whispered his response into her ear making her squirm briefly.

"No, Cai-chan. That's why I have you, and you'll be mine forever."


End file.
